Just then, a strange figure appeared in the pitch-black night.
"Who?" Lu Tianjiao suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
In the hazy darkness of the night, a tall figure slowly emerged from behind the withered branches of the osmanthus tree beside the pavilion.
As the figure drew closer, Lu Tianjiao finally saw clearly that it was a man dressed in a dark winter brocade robe, with his black hair half-tied up, and a high nose bridge beneath his sword-like eyebrows, exuding an extraordinary air.
"Don't be afraid, miss, I'm not a bad person," the man hurriedly explained as soon as he appeared.
"Hmph, why would someone who isn't a bad person spy on me?" Lu Tianjiao said to him with a disdainful look.
“Miss, you misunderstand. I just happened to be passing by. Seeing that it was getting late and that you were all alone and looking lost, I was worried that you might encounter some bad people, so I stayed by your side to keep watch and not disturb you,” the man said as he sat down next to Lu Tianjiao.
When Lu Tianjiao saw him sit down uninvited, her previously vacant and lost eyes immediately brightened. She glanced at the man, then turned her face away to look at him from the other side.
Some women, like the one right now, change their tune faster than the weather.
"May I ask why you are here alone in the middle of the night, weeping?" the man asked as soon as he sat down.
"What does my business have to do with you?" Lu Tianjiao had finally managed to put aside her worries, but the man's question brought them back to her mind, so she retorted angrily.
“Miss, please don’t be angry. Anger is of no benefit to a woman’s body or mind. I only wanted to share your burdens,” the man hurriedly advised her.
"You?" Lu Tianjiao said, her questioning gaze seeming more like a mockery, asking what kind of help he could possibly offer her.
"Miss, why don't you tell me? Perhaps I can really help you, can't I?" the man insisted with a smile.
Lu Tianjiao really needed someone to confide in at that moment, since they were complete strangers anyway. He might as well just vent.
So Lu Tianjiao said, "If you love someone your whole life, but they love someone else instead of you, what would you do?"
"That's easy, Miss. Just find someone else who likes you. Youth fades quickly, and beauty withers easily," the man said casually.
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao rolled her eyes at him. He immediately realized that his joke was a bit inappropriate, so he became serious and said, "Then... ruin her."
The man deliberately leaned close to Lu Tianjiao's ear and said this, his face smiling but his eyes revealing a fierce look.
Lu Tianjiao was immediately stunned upon hearing this, lowering his gaze and thinking, "Destroy her..."
“Miss, since we are destined to meet, how about we become friends? I am Tuoba Ze, a merchant from the Northern Lie Kingdom,” the man introduced himself when he saw that Lu Tianjiao seemed to be pondering what he said.
“Northern Lie Kingdom? No wonder your accent didn’t sound like that of someone from Western Qin,” Lu Tianjiao said, finally clearing up his earlier doubts.
"Then may I have the honor of getting to know you, Miss?" Tuoba Ze asked with a smile.
"My daughter is Lu Tianjiao. My father is the Dean of Xiqin Academy," Lu Tianjiao replied politely.
"So you are the daughter of Dean Lu of the renowned Xiqin Academy, the premier academy in Xiqin. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. If you ever need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask," Tuoba Ze flattered, while Lu Tianjiao seemed to thoroughly enjoy these beautiful words.
"You're a businessman? What kind of business do you run?" Lu Tianjiao suddenly asked.
Tuoba Ze hesitated for a moment and asked, "Miss Lu really wants to know?"
"If it's inconvenient to say, then forget it." With that, Lu Tianjiao put on a stern face and got up to leave.
Tuoba Ze quickly stood up and reached out to stop her, saying, "It's not that I dare not speak, but I'm afraid Miss Lu wouldn't dare to listen."
"What a joke! There's nothing in this world that I, Lu Tianjiao, wouldn't dare to hear. If you dare to say it, I dare to listen. Go ahead and say it."
So, Tuoba Ze asked Lu Tianjiao softly, "Miss Lu, have you ever heard of Wanjiao Pavilion?"
Lu Tianjiao had never heard of the place Tuoba Ze mentioned before, and asked with a puzzled look, "Wanjiao Pavilion? What kind of place is that?"
Instead of answering directly, Tuoba Ze slowly walked over to Lu Tianjiao and whispered in his ear.
"What?" Lu Tianjiao exclaimed in shock, then ran frantically out of the pavilion and headed towards the inn.
After she had walked a long way, two guards emerged from the shadows and bowed respectfully before Tuoba Ze. One of them said, "Why would Your Highness condescend to befriend such a mean and cunning woman?"
Tuoba Ze looked up at the direction Lu Tianjiao had left, raised his chin slightly and said, "Xi Qin Academy... is anything but ordinary."
After saying that, the three of them turned around and disappeared into the thick night fog.
At this moment, Lu Tianjiao finally ran back to the inn and heard a loud bang on the door next door. Lu Tianlin knew that Lu Tianjiao had returned, so he hurriedly went out and knocked on the door, saying, "Sister, what happened?"
"It's nothing, I'm just tired." Lu Tianjiao's face was flushed, and her heart was still pounding. She never expected that this merchant from the Northern Lie Kingdom was involved in the business of buying and selling brothels.
Only then did Lu Tianjiao let out a deep breath. However, she remembered Tuoba Ze's words: "Then destroy her..."
Under the cover of night, in the southern part of Xiqin City, a place known for its brothels and entertainment districts, Wanjiao Pavilion stands out as the most prominent.
A refined courtyard-style villa, a high-class brothel, luxurious and extravagant, filled with singing and dancing, beautiful women, and debauchery.
More importantly, the people coming and going here are all wealthy families, powerful and influential people, and prominent clans.
The madam was beaming with delight as she used her silver tongue to serve each distinguished guest, while the waiter, Da Chahu, darted around the hall like a monkey, bustling about up and down the stairs with great enthusiasm.
The men and women in the attic were all displaying their talents, some reciting poems, some pulling and tugging at each other, some leaning against the railing pouting and playing hard to get, some massaging legs, some rubbing shoulders, and some massaging backs. In reality, most of them were just pitiful women.
A pair of jade arms, a pillow for a thousand men.
A touch of crimson lips, tasted by ten thousand guests.
How many people come and go?
I am used to shedding tears of longing.
"Your Highness, the madam said that the young lady who ran away some time ago has returned on her own," one of the two guards following closely behind Tuoba Ze reported.
"Are you sure there are no problems?" Tuoba Ze asked coldly and suspiciously.
"We've already sent people to investigate thoroughly. She ran away and was taken in as a servant by the Qin Prince's Mansion in the Western Qin. Later, it's said that she wanted to rise in rank and made a move on the Qin Prince. She was discovered by the old nanny in the mansion and kicked out. She was in a very miserable state and had nowhere to go, so she had to come back here," the guard explained.
"What about the poison used on your body?" Tuoba Ze asked again.
"Your Highness, rest assured, the madam has continued to administer the poison to her, there won't be any problems," the three people said softly as they walked, then went upstairs to a secluded pavilion on the top floor of Wanjiao Pavilion.
A series of knocks came from the door, and the guards hurried over to open it.
The madam entered and bowed to Tuoba Ze, saying, "Your Highness, the poison you requested will be ready in a few days. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"You only need to control the drugs, don't ask any other questions. This matter is of great importance, you must control it well, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable," Tuoba Ze instructed very carefully.
"I understand. But what should we do with that woman?" The woman the madam was referring to was Yu Niang, the daughter-in-law of the mother-in-law who had been kicked out of the Prince of Qin's mansion and Ling'er's mother.
"This woman is quite talented. She should be served well by me first. I intend to keep her for other purposes. We can't afford any more mishaps," Tuoba Ze said meaningfully, his brows furrowed.
Just as the madam finished speaking and was about to leave, Tuoba Ze called out to her, "Is there any movement from the Southern Kingdom?"
"There is no suspicion about me in Nan'an yet, Your Highness, please rest assured." The madam's true identity is actually a noblewoman from the Nan'an Kingdom of the Lingkong Continent, but now she has switched sides and sided with Prince Tuoba Ze of the Northern Lie Kingdom.
In fact, Tuoba Ze did not completely trust the madam's defection, so he often stayed at Wanjiao Pavilion to personally supervise the affairs of the council.
"There's one more thing to tell you. If anyone mentions the name of Xiqin Academy and comes looking for me, be sure to inform me immediately," Tuoba Ze said. After he finished speaking, the madam acknowledged the order and left.
"Does Your Highness really think that young lady will come back? She clearly fled in terror after learning who we are," a guard asked, seemingly doubtful.
"Hmph, when has this prince ever made a mistake in judging people and things? All women in this world are born because of love, die because of love, hate because of love, greed because of love, anger because of love, infatuation because of love, and madness because of love. Lu Tianjiao... she has clearly gone mad." Tuoba Ze was certain that Lu Tianjiao would come to him for help again.
“Xi Qin Academy, there must be some great secret hidden here.” As he spoke, Tuoba Ze revealed an extremely curious and unfathomable look in his eyes.
"If we control Miss Lu, Xi Qin Academy will naturally become ours. Your Highness is wise." The guard seemed to understand instantly.
"Now that the poison is ready, how are things progressing?" Tuoba Ze asked.
"His Highness was quite knowledgeable in medicine, and with his help, things would be much easier. However, he always considered himself superior and disdained to associate with us. Therefore, I had to arrange for someone else to handle it. But Your Highness, rest assured, the Crown Prince of Western Qin will definitely not escape this time. Moreover, since we acted within the territory of Nan'an, Western Qin will definitely not suspect that it was done by Bei Lie," the guard reported in detail.
"High-minded? I think he's living too comfortably. On the cold, arid grasslands of Beilie, if it weren't for me leading my generals to conquer and plunder, relying solely on trade, he would be starving and destitute, with Beilie suffering widespread famine and on the verge of collapse. Talking about high-mindedness with me..." Tuoba Ze roared in fury.
"Your Highness, please calm down. Perhaps the Second Prince is just too young," the guard quickly advised upon seeing the situation.
Half a day later, Tuoba Ze stretched out one hand and waved it slightly, signaling them to leave. The two of them quietly withdrew and gently closed the door behind them.
The King of Beilie was old but greatly favored his younger brother, believing him to be gentle and of noble character. He, however, thought his brother to be an incapable ruler, indecisive and overly sentimental. He believed that if Beilie were to fall into such hands, it would be strange if the kingdom didn't perish.
"Sigh..." In the end, all his worries turned into this long sigh. Then he moved to the window in the room and looked out.
After a while, he suddenly looked out the window and said, "She really is a charming beauty."
As night fell and rain pattered, a dimly lit pavilion across the way revealed a woman dressed in purple, with delicate, gentle eyes beneath arched willow-leaf eyebrows, gazing thoughtfully out the window, seemingly lost in thought, appearing melancholic.
"Darkly drawn eyebrows, lightly drawn eyebrows, her hair in a tangled mess, her clothes covered in clouds. Returning from the rain at Yangtai. Wushan is high, Wushan is low, the evening rain is drizzling, but my love has not returned. Alone in the empty room, I keep vigil." At this moment, the woman recited softly.
"Oh dear, my little darling, how many times have I told you to stay in your room and behave yourself? Why won't you listen?"
Just then, the madam came in, interrupting her thoughts and soft murmurs. While calling out to her, she hurriedly came over and half-pushed, half-pulled the woman from the window to sit down at the table inside the room.
Then he went back to the window, poked half his head out and looked around. Seeing that there was no one else except Tuoba Ze, who was also standing by the window opposite, he nodded slightly to his master across the way and hurriedly closed all the windows tightly.
Who is this woman?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com